Premenstrual exacerbation (PME)
Experiencing hormonal changes before a period can make the symptoms of an existing mental health condition worsen. When this happens, it is referred to as premenstrual exacerbation. Also, if depression and other symptoms intensify just before your period starts, but don’t improve during your period, this could also signify that you have premenstrual exacerbation (PME).
PME and PMDD can be likened, but the two conditions are not the same. With PME, the hormonal fluctuation that comes with your menstrual cycle can make symptoms of existing conditions worse. This includes depression, as well as other mental and physical health conditions, such as:
- Asthma
- Epilepsy [6]
- Acne
- Bipolar disorder
- Eating disorder
- Anxiety
- Schizophrenia
- Migraine
- Irritable bowel syndrome
In most cases you don’t even recognize that you are experiencing PME, there it goes untreated. Research suggests that depression as a symptom is more common in women that experience PME than in those without the condition.